. >> president obama and speaker boehner sounding upbeat friday about prospects for cutting a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. we are back with the panel. after the congressional leaders and the president met at the white house on friday the rhetoric was reassuring. the question is is it real? do you get the sense, bob, that really do see or are beginning to see a path to a compromise are they they just trying to calm nervous investors because the stock market is going down a thousand points? >> everyone is nervous about this. this is kind of the last chance. the next six weeks could be six weeks that shook the united states if they don't fix this. there clearly is a new mood, but the way they are going to solve this is kind of hostage exchange. in other words, the republicans are determined not to let tax rates go up. the president is determined or is determined to get more revenue. and it's possible to do this. the president is going along, it seems, with some idea of entitlement reform that we are going to actually cut spending. but this is, you know, they are going to have to -- th